Pope Francis and Zelensky defend continuing humanitarian efforts to support the population

He Pope Francisco and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyagreed today on “the need to continue with the humanitarian efforts to support the population” that suffers the war in Ukraine.

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The dad and Zelensky met today, for the first time since the start of the war, in the Vaticanan expected meeting that comes after the pontiff revealed that a mission is underway to end the war in Ukraineof which the details are not yet known.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the Vatican explained that the meeting lasted about 40 minutes and that “the topics of the conversation concern the humanitarian and political situation in Ukraine caused by the ongoing war”.

“He dad has assured his constant prayer, witnessed by his numerous public appeals and continuous invocation to the Lord for peace, since February of last year”, when the Russian invasion that sparked the conflict began more than a year ago.

Besides, “both agreed on the need to continue with humanitarian efforts to support the population” and “The pope stressed in particular the urgent need for ‘gestures of humanity’ towards the most fragile people, innocent victims of the conflict”.

The pope gave him a bronze work that represents an olive branch, a symbol of peace, as well as the Message for Peace of this year, the Document on Human Fraternity, and the volume “An encyclical on peace in Ukraine”.

The Ukrainian president, for his part, presented him with a work of art made from a bulletproof vest and a painting entitled “Loss”, about the killing of children during the conflict.

It is the first meeting of the Pope with the Ukrainian president since the war began, although both already know each other because Francisco received in audience Zelensky on February 8, 2020, when “the humanitarian situation and the search for peace” were already discussed in the context of “the conflict that, since 2014, plagues Ukraine.

The meeting comes amid the Vatican peace mission announced by the pontiff on the return flight from his recent trip to Hungary and of which the details are not yet known, although a Vatican source has indicated to the Russian media that the meeting “not directly related” with her and what Zelensky requested the meeting with Francisco “just a few days ago.”

Furthermore, the visit comes as an imminent Ukrainian counter-offensive is expected with which kyiv wants to reconquer a large part of the territory occupied by Moscow.

For all these reasons, the meeting had raised great expectations, given the possibility that you could open a spiral of dialogue in the conflict.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.